(June 4, 2008) The California Chamber of Commerce is urging members of the business community to join its coalition designed to reduce the negative impacts of the upcoming California Air Resources Board (CARB) truck and bus replacement rule.

CARB is working on a regulation that could affect more than 1.5 million diesel trucks and buses in California.

The first action under the new proposed rule will require any heavy-duty vehicle with a pre-1994 engine to be replaced or retrofitted with yet-to-be-developed technologies by December 31, 2010. All other trucks with an engine-model year up to 2009 will be required to be replaced on a tiered schedule ending in 2022.

The proposed regulation would apply to diesel shuttle buses and vehicles greater than 14,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. This could result in significant financial burdens to California businesses that will be forced to replace their truck fleet in the coming years.

The CalChamber hopes business leaders will join the Driving Toward a Cleaner California coalition today to find out what can be done to make sure CARB strikes the right balance between protecting the environment and the economy.

Workshops

CARB workshops on the new rule (both daytime and evening) are scheduled through June 10.

For more information, visit www.drivecleanca.org or use the link at www.calchamber.com.